Report on the activities of the Independent Evaluation Unit

The IEU report for the first half of 2020 outlines the progress of several major evaluations, including assessments of the GCF's country ownership approach, environmental and social safeguards, and the Simplified Approval Process. It highlights the unit's efforts to integrate behavioural science through the new Behaviour and Design Lab (BaDLab) and the LORTA programme. The report also details extensive communication efforts via webinars and social media to increase the uptake of evaluation findings, and provides a budget update showing a total expenditure and commitment of USD 2,447,221 against a 2020 budget of USD 5,581,985 as of 30 April 2020.

• The evaluation of the GCF's country ownership approach (COA) recommends that 'country ownership' should be a mandatory requirement for investment proposals rather than just an indicator of quality. It also suggests that international accredited entities should be encouraged to collaborate with local accredited entities.
• An evaluation of the GCF's environmental and social safeguards (ESS) and management system (ESMS) found that the current ESMS is not relevant or customized to the GCF's overall mandate. The IEU recommends the urgent creation of new ESS standards and the full implementation of the monitoring and accountability framework, which has previously only existed on paper.
• A rapid assessment of the Simplified Approval Process (SAP) revealed that the process does not significantly accelerate access to resources, with approval taking 365 days compared to 399 days for regular processes. While the SAP has been responsive to least developed countries, it has not been as effective for small island developing states, which represent only two projects in the portfolio.
• A synthesis of the GCF accreditation process identified challenges in governance and a lack of strategic guidance. Recommendations include establishing a strategy to clarify accreditation objectives, strengthening the Accreditation Committee and Panel, and piloting the Project Specific Assessment Approach (PSAA) before scaling.
• The IEU is conducting evaluations on the effectiveness of GCF investments in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and adaptation-related investments in low- and middle-income countries. The latter aims to determine if the GCF is facilitating a paradigm shift toward transformational adaptation.
• The IEU has established the Behaviour and Design Lab (BaDLab) to apply behavioural insights to climate action and is using the Learning-Oriented Real-Time Impact Assessment (LORTA) programme to embed real-time evaluations into projects, such as the Sustainable Landscapes in Eastern Madagascar project.
• As of 30 April 2020, the IEU had spent or committed USD 2,447,221, which is 44% of its total 2020 budget allocation of USD 5,581,985.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2020). Report on the activities of the Independent Evaluation Unit. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b26-inf05.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Report on the activities of the Independent Evaluation Unit. 2020. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b26-inf05.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Report on the activities of the Independent Evaluation Unit |date=28 July 2020 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b26-inf05.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2020report, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Report on the activities of the Independent Evaluation Unit}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b26-inf05.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }